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Government of India
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Ministry of
Human Resource Development

SCHEME FOR Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

National Coordinating Institute

PROMOTION OF
ACADEMIC AND
RESEARCH COLLABORATION
Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 About the Scheme
Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research
Collaboration (SPARC) aims at improving the
research ecosystem of India’s higher educational
institutions by facilitating academic and research
collaborations between Indian institutions and
the best institutions in the world from 28 selected
nations to jointly solve problems of national and
international relevance in the first phase.

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 Overview
In order to facilitate fundamental and socially
relevant research in India, lot of emphasis is being
laid for strengthening collaboration between Indian
research groups with top research groups in the
world, so that Indian scientists and students can
interact with the finest minds in the world.
SPARC builds on the solid foundation laid by Global
Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) and offers a
scheme to support longer term research program
where it not only funds for long term visit by the
international faculty (2 to 8 months) but would also
fund the travel and sustenance of Indian students at
the university / institute of the international
collaborator. The program aims at exposing large
number of young students, the torch bearers of the
future generation, to state-of-the-art developments
in science and technology, thereby increasing the
number of highly trained scientific manpower in the
country, as well as significantly enhance the
visibility of Indian science and scientists in the
world map of highly advance science. It is expected
Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
that some of the joint ideas would not only lead to
breakthrough in science, but would also result in
sustainable technological products that will be
beneficial to mankind at large, in addition to
fulfilling the needs of India.
The major outcome of the SPARC initiative will be
strong research collaboration between Indian
research groups with best-in class faculty and
renowned research group in the leading universities
of the world, in areas that are at the cutting edge of
science or with direct social relevance to the
mankind, specifically of India. Long term stay of
international faculty will lead to tangible result such
as large number of high impact research
publications, solution to key national and
international problems, development of niche
courses, high quality text books and research
monographs, imbibing of best practices from top
international academicians and researchers, strong
bilateral cooperation, and improved world reputation
and ranking of Indian Institutes.
 Objective
SPARC proposes to enable productive academic cooperation by supporting the following critical components that can
catalyze impact making research
Visits and long-term stay of
top international faculty /
researchers in Indian
institutions to pursue
teaching and research
Joint development of niche
courses, world-class books
and monographs, translatable
patents, demonstrable
technologies or action
oriented research outcomes
and products
Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
Visits by Indian students
for training and
experimentation in premier
laboratories worldwide
Consolidation of bilateral
cooperation through
academic and research
partnerships through Indo-X
workshops in India
Visit by Indian faculty to
foreign institute
Publication, Dissemination
and Visibility through a
high profile annual
international conference in
India
Joint research project
between India and foreign
institute
Around
600
project proposals
are expected to be funded
in the first phase starting
in 2019
 Elements of a
SPARC collaboration
A SPARC collaboration consists of a bilateral team working on a research project with the following features:

Topic of the research proposal falls in one of the Thrust Areas of SPARC and addresses a challenging issue of
theoretical, experimental and/or translational value.

Team must comprised of:

at
least 2
international
2
Indian faculty
2+2
researchers pursuing
faculty members members PhD or post-doc from
each side

Faculty members may be from Each side will have a Lead

one or two eligible institutions Institution (LI) and a principal
on either side. and co-principal investigators

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 Partner Countries and Nodal Indian Institutes
28 Countries have been identified for collaboration in the first phase of SPARC. There will be a set of Nodal Institutions (NI) in
India, one for each participating foreign country, who will be responsible for hand holding, guiding Indian institutes and
coordination of activities between the participating Indian Institutions in India and the respective foreign country as well as act as
the liaision with the SPARC teams.

Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada China Denmark

(IIT Kharagpur) (MNIT Jaipur) (Punjab University) (University of Hyderabad) (IIT Ropar) (IIT Madras) (IIT Roorkee)

Finland France Germany Hong Kong Israel Italy Japan

(Visva Bharati University) (IIT Indore) (IIT Mandi) (IIT Madras) (IIT Kanpur) (IIT Guwahati) (IIT Hyderabad)

Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal Russia Singapore South Africa

(IIT Roorkee) (IIT Kharagpur) (JNU) (Jamia Milia Islamia) (IIT Bombay) (BHU) (IISER Pune)

South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan United Kingdom United States of
(IISER Kolkata) (NIT Durgapur) (NIT Trichy) (IIT Bhubaneswar) (NIT Warangal) (UK) America (USA)
(IIT Delhi) (IISc Bangalore)

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
Who can apply?

Indian Institutes
All Indian institutes ranked in the overall top-100 or category-wise
top-100 in the India Rankings (NIRF)

Only such private institutes which fall in the above category, and also
recognized under 12(B) of UGC Act

International Institutes
The partner foreign institute must be in the top-500 of QS World
University Rankings or in the top-200 QS World University
Rankings by subject.

Each eligible Indian institute will have an identified

institute coordinator for monitoring the SPARC
programme within the Institute.

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 Thrust Areas

1 Fundamental Research
Sub-themes

Basic Sciences Applied and Humanities and Computational and Earth, Atmosphere
Physical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Mathematical Sciences and Environmental
Chemical Sciences, Sciences Sciences
Biological Sciences

2 Emergent Areas of Impact

Sub-themes

Advanced Electronics Advanced Functional Structural Genomics Artificial Intelligence Digital Infectious Disease
and Communication and Meta Materials and Evolutionary and Cognitive Science Humanities & Clinical Research
Biology

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 3 Convergence
Sub-themes

Transportation and Affordable Advanced Science and Energy and

Smart Infrastructure Health Care Manufacturing Heritage Water Sustainability

4 Action-Oriented Research
Sub-themes

Future of Earth: River, Ocean, Technology Enhanced Agricultural and Technologies for Law and
Green and Renewable Aviation and Education and Food Sustainability Rural and Society
Technologies Space Management Learning, including Women Empowerment
Technology Assistive Technologies

5 Innovation-Driven Research
Sub-themes

Technologies for Technologies for Robotics and Nano, Biotechnology Technologies for Design
Financial Inclusion Forensic, Security Embedded Systems and Applications Swachh Bharat Innovation
and Safety

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 Budget and Funding Details

Funding Budget
2
from from
up to `50 lakhs `75 lakhs

Period years The proposal can be in any

one of the three baskets
`50 lakhs up to
`75 lakhs
up to
`100 lakhs

Eligible heads Items NOT covered under

for funding
„ Support for international faculty to cover
travel, stay, honorarium, etc.
„ International travel and allowance of
scholars during period of stay abroad
SPARC funding
„ Any major equipment/infrastructure
„ International travel of Indian faculty
„ Scholarship / stipend of Indian or foreign scholars

„ Allowance for stay of international students The SPARC funding is expected to be complemented by one or
in India more of the following sources:

„ Budget for workshop „ Funding from Indian institute towards equipment,

„ Contingency for accessories, consumables,
chemicals, video recording, field work,
documentation, local travel in India,
contingencies, institutional costs,
miscellaneous, etc.
infrastructure, travel of Indian faculty, stipend of scholars
„ Funding from external funding agencies for complementary
ongoing projects
„ Additional support from the Indian or international partner
institute

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 Evaluation
Process

Initiator Faculty Proposal Preparation Internal review by Submission on

(Indian PI) (jointly with foreign PI) Indian institute SPARC portal

Approval and
Final Review by Consent from
final submission by
Recommendation Expert Committee foreign PI
Institute coordinator

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 Teaching of a specific course and publication of joint
research monograph (essential)

Workshop and conference

Provide the best international expertise in solving major

national problems.

Help Indian academicians and researchers unravel deep

and open research problems with the help of the best
collaborators.

Enable long-term stay for international faculty to participate

Expected in academic interactions, research collaborations, course

development in niche area.

Outcomes Enable a large number of Indian students to be trained in

high end facilities available in the best laboratories in the
world.

Produce a large volume of educational and research content

in the form of jointly authored/developed publications, text
books, research monographs, patents, demonstrable
technologies and products.

Develop strong bilateral relationships in academics and

research with top countries in the world.

Improve international rankings of Indian institutions and

create major global impact through success stories.

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 Routing of SPARC funds for all stakeholders

Managing the on-line portal for submission,

evaluation, monitoring, dissemination of SPARC
National proposals and selected projects

Coordinating
Institute Coordinating the review of SPARC proposals

(NC)
IIT Kharagpur is the National Coordinating Organizing two annual SPARC conferences
(NC) institute responsible for overall
execution of SPARC. The premier
institute’s roles and responsibilities will
include
Coordinating and managing the intellectual output
(publications and IP) of SPARC

Coordinating with SPARC Liaison Cell in MHRD to

resolve all issues that Nodal Institutes are unable to
Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
resolve.
 Important Dates

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER

2018 2018 2018

28 8 15
Release of Opening of Closing of
Website Proposal Submission Proposal Submission
Portal Portal

Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in
 Ministry of Human Resource Development
Government of India
Dr. N. Saravana Kumar
Joint Secretary (ICC)
SPARC Liaison Cell

NATIONAL COORDINATING INSTITUTE

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Contact
SPARC cell Coordinating Institute
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Prof. Partha P. Chakrabarti
Kharagpur – 721302 Director, IIT Kharagpur
West Bengal, INDIA Email: director@iitkgp.ac.in

cygnusadvertising.in
Email: support@sparc.iitkgp.ac.in Prof. Adrijit Goswami
Website: http://www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in Email: goswami@maths.iitkgp.ac.in